To the honorableLuke ELuke E Lawless .
LawlessLuke E Lawless sold Judge of the said St LouisCircuit Court
Circuit CourtCircuit Court . Your petitioner RichardRichard Tompson
TompsonRichard Tompson a man of colour humbly
complaining, respectfully showeth unto
your honor. That he is at this time held
in slavery by oneJames E BlountJames E Blount and
Baker Fred White men of the city
of Saint LouisSt Louis and within the jurisdiction
of your honorable Court rendering at
this time services as a slave for the benefit
of said Blount & Baker before
then represents that he fomerly belay-
ed to General WilliamWilliam H AshleyH Ashley deceased
and belonged to him at the time of his
death who lived in the said City of St LouisCity of St Louis
when he departed this Life. And that
at said Ashley's death he said de-
cedent made and published his last
will and testament wherein and by
which he liberated and set free forev-
er your petitioner and that since his
said Ashley's death your petitioner has
been or pretended to be sold as he has
been informed and verily believes by
the personal representatives of said decedents
estate to said Blount and Ba-
ker as a slave for life. Your petitioner
avers that he is entitled by said will
and the cases of the land to his freedom
and that he is now about thirty-nine

years of age. He your petitioner therefore
humbly prays your honor to grant
him leave to sue in your honorable
Circuit CourtCircuit Court at the March Term
thereof for the year Eighteen hundred
and forty-one as a poor person agreeably
to the laws of the said state of
MissouriMissouri in such cases made and
provided in order to establish his right
to his freedom for the reasons and causes
aforesaid and your petitioner will
ever pray &c.

Personally appeared
before me the undersigned an acting
Justice of the peace in and for the town
ship of St Louis County and state afore-
said the above named petitioner RichardRichard Tompson
TompsonRichard Tompson and made oath that
the matters and things stated and set
forth in the above petition, so far as sta
ted from his own Knowledge and true
and so for as stated from the information
of others he beleives them to be
true

I Luke E. LawlessLuke E Lawless Judge of
the St. Louis Circuit CourtCircuit Court do hereby
give the above named petitioner

RichardRichard Tompson TompsonRichard Tompson permission to sue
in the said St Louis Circuit CourtCircuit Court as
a poor person to establish his right
to his freedom at the March Term 1841
And further order that he have reason
able liberty to attend to his counsel
and the said court, as occasion may
required; that he be not removed
out of the jurisditiction of the said CircuitCircuit Court
CourtCircuit Court , and that he be not subjected
to any severty on account
of his application for freedom

RichardRichard Tompson TompsonRichard Tompson
a man of colour
vs
Blount & Baker
petition

RichardRichard Tompson TompsonRichard Tompson
a man of colour
vs
James E. Blount &
LeakinLeakin Baker BakerLeakin Baker
Declaration

This is an action of
Trespass & false imprisonnment
a suit for freedom
The clerk of
the St Louis CircuitCircuit Court
CourtCircuit Court will issue a
summons in the above
cause

RichardRichard Tompson TompsonRichard Tompson a man
of Colour by his attorney John BJohn B KingKing com
plaining of JamesJames E Blount EJames E Blount BlountJames E Blount andLeakinLeakin Baker BakerLeakin Baker
of a plea of trespass and false imprison
ment- For that the defendants on the third
day of September eighteen hundred and
forty at the county and circuit aforesaid
upon said plaintiff an asault did make
and him then and there did strike, bruise
wound and otherwise ill treat and him
then and there did imprison and so detain
ed him in imprisonment for a long time
to wit from the day and year last aforesaid
to this day, contrary to the statute in
such case made and provided and against
the peace and dignity of the state aforesaid
and said plaintiff avers that before and
at the time of the committing of the grievances
aforesaid, he was, and still is a free person,
and that the said defendants held and
still holds, him in slavery - Therefore he
brings his suit &

We command you to Summon James E. Blount
and Leakin BakerLeakin Baker that they he and
appear
before the judge of our Circuit CourtCircuit Court , on the first day of the next term thereof, to be
held at the City of St. LouisCity of St Louis, within and for the County of St. LouisCounty of St Louis, on the third Mon-
day of March next, then and there to answer unto RichardRichard Tompson
TompsonRichard Tompson (a man of Color) of a plea
of trespass and false imprisonment.

to the damage of said plaintiff

dollars: And have you then there this writ.

I acknowledge myself bound for all costs that may accrue in the above cause.

Witness my hand and seal, at St. LouisSt Louis, this day of 184

I Luke E. LawlessLuke E Lawless , sole Judge of the St. LouisCircuit Court
Circuit CourtCircuit Court, do hereby give the aforenamed petitioner
Richard TompsonRichard Tompson permission to sue in the said
St. Louis Circuit CourtCircuit Court as a poor person to es-
tablish his right to his freedom at the March Term 1841 and further order that he have rea-
sonable liberty to attend to his counsel and
the said Court, as occasion may require, that
he be not removed out of the jurisdiction of the
said Circuit CourtCircuit Court and that he be not subjected
to any severity on account of his application
for freedom this 26th January 1841.

Richard Thompson
vs Summons
James E BlountJames E Blount &
Leakin BakerLeakin Baker

Trespass & false impirsonment
KingKing p. q.

Executed this writ in the county of St. LouisSt Louis
on the 30th day of January 1841 by reading
it, the declaration and order of the Judge to
Leakin D BakerLeakin D Baker one of the defendants, the
other defendant James E BlountJames E Blount not found in
my county

Richard TompsonRichard Tompson (a man
of colour) humbly and respectfully stating
to the Honorable Luke E LawlessLuke E Lawless sole Judge
of the St. Louis Circuit CourtCircuit Court for the county
and State aforesaid, that by the permission
of your honor he has instituted a suit
in said Circuit CourtCircuit Court returnable to the
March Term Eighteen hundred and for-
ty one to establish his right to freedom
against one James E BlountJames E Blount and
Leakin BakerLeakin Baker and that the summons in
said cause has been executed on one
of said defendants To wit said Baker by
the Sheriffs of said County and that Said
Blount the other defendant has not been
found as he is informed and verily believes
-that he verily belives he will be run
beyond the jurisdiction of your honorable
Circuit CourtCircuit Court and be otherwise mal-
treated by said defendants and others in
consequence of bringing said suit afore-
said unless prevented by the timely inter-
position of your honor- before said suit in in said court to the end that
he may be protected and saved harmless
in the apertion of his rights secured to him
by law he humbly petitions your honor
to grant him a warrant as the law in
such case made and provided contem-
plates- that he may be brought before
your honor or to be further dealt with as
> may be deemed right and necessa-

ry as the law in such case provides and
contemplates - And grant to your petitioner
all such relief as his case merits in the
premises and as in duty bound he will
ever pray &c.

Personally appeared before
me the undersigned an acting justice of
the peace for the county and state aforesaid
Richard TompsonRichard Tompson (a man of colour) and made oath that the facts matters and things
stated in the above petition so far as stated
from his own knowledge are true and so far as
stated from the information of others
he believes them to be true.

Richard TompsonRichard Tompson
a man of Colour
vs Petition
Blount & Baker

RichardRichard Tompson TompsonRichard Tompson
vs
on petition
Blount & Baker

Summons

Shff ordered to hire petitioner out BK 12 p 93

We command you to
seize Richard TompsonRichard Tompson (a man of color) where=
ver he may be found and bring him be=
fore the Honorable LukeLuke E Lawless ELuke E Lawless .LawlessLuke E Lawless Judge
of our Circuit CourtCircuit Court for the county of
St LouisSt Louis at the Courthouse in the City ofCity of St Louis
St LouisCity of St Louis on the fourth day of Febuary 1841 at 10 o'clock a.m then and there
to abide the decision of said judge on a
certain petition of the said Tompson this
day filed, and that you summon James
E. Blount and LeakinLeakin Baker BakerLeakin Baker , or any other
person whatever in whose possession he may
he found, to appear before the said Judge
at the same time, then and there to abide
such decision as the said court may make.

Excuted this writ & have
now in open court the body of
the within named Richard Thompson
in in open court this 4th day of Feby 1841 and Summoned LeakinLeakin Baker
BakerLeakin Baker as by this
writ I am commanded JamesJames E Blount
EJames E Blount BlountJames E Blount not found in my
county

And the said defendant
Baker by his attorney comes & defends the force &
injury when & he says that he is not
guilty of the said supposed grievances or any of
them or any part thereof in manner & form as the
said plaintiff hath above thereof complained
against him and of this he puts himself upon the
county

LeakinLeakin D Baker D BakerLeakin D Baker impleaded
ats
Richard Thompson

Plea not guilty

a suit for freedom
an appearence for
March Term 1841

Dismissed